Spain food tips: Where to find the best pintxos in San Sebastian

It's 6.30 on a Friday night in San Sebastian and the laneways of the old town, Parte Vieja, are already humming. Outside a corner bar housed in an unassuming sandstone building, two middle-aged women with shopping bags at their feet drink red wine and gossip. At the next table, three punky-looking twentysomethings in leather jackets and mirrored shades smoke cigarettes and gesticulate wildly, while a few tables over, a woman rocks her baby in a pram as she sips a glass of beer.

This, says our guide for the evening – an effervescent young woman named Eli Susperregui, who was born and raised in this impossibly lovely seaside city – is typical San Sebastian. Nights here, she says, are for indulgence: everyone out together, sharing food and drinks, celebrating nothing in particular.

And why not? San Sebastian is generally considered one of the best places to eat and drink in the world, with a galaxy of Michelin stars. Navigating its multitude of choices, however, can prove befuddling for newcomers. Which is why we're grateful to have Susperregui, a culinary guide for local outfit Mimo Food, showing us the ropes.

"First things first," she says as we wander the narrow stone streets around the Plaza de la Constitucion, "We're no longer in Spain, we're in Basque country now."

Basque country, she says, isn't like the rest of Spain. Stretching across the Atlantic coast from the Cantabrian mountains to the French border, it has its own language, culture and culinary traditions, commonly agreed to reign supreme with its wealth of fresh, seasonal produce.

Pintxos, the mini tapas-style snack unique to Basque country, is the focus of tonight's explorations. Every second doorway we pass seems to lead to a pintxos bar, and each is known for a specific pintxos, Susperregui tells us as we walk inside an unpretentious joint called Goiz Argi. The bar is lined with plates, each laden with three or four bite-sized servings of different pintxos. "You pick up what you like, then once you've had enough, you pay," Susperregui instructs.

We sample a trio of spicy skewered prawns, then a delicious morsel called a Mari Juli, a combination of smoked salmon, roasted peppers and anchovies, that's apparently the most famous pintxos there is. When we're done eating, Susperregui tells us to fling our napkins on the ground. It's the Basque way of letting the bar owners know we've enjoyed our food, and that it's time to move on.

It's springtime in Spain and at our next stop, another hole-in-the-wall called Casa Urola further down the street, we sample two seasonal specialities: grilled white asparagus sprinkled with ham dust, followed by an anchovy squished onto a toothpick with a tangy green pepper and olives. This moreish bite, called a Gilda, was the first pintxos ever made.